Once you've heard the devastating diagnosis of cancer, your thoughts then race to the future and wondering what lies ahead. A common treatment for various types of cancer is chemotherapy. The thought of chemotherapy brings immediate thoughts of impending death to mind. The truth is that this treatment is used for all types of cancer and doesn't necessarily mean a grim diagnosis. What is in Chemotherapy? Put simply, chemicals. These chemicals are what cause your body to have a more severe reaction than other standard medicines. The strength of the chemotherapy is what is needed to destroy cancer cells and to prevent them from spreading. Often chemotherapy is given as a supplemental treatment after surgery to remove a malignancy. This is more of a preventative measure than a cure. Even though a surgeon feels confident he was able to completely remove the tumor, he wants to make sure any remaining cancer cells are taken care of. Chemotherapy treatment has come a long way in recent years. If you …show more content…
Not all chemotherapy patients suffer from hair loss. And if you do lose your hair, it will grow back as soon as chemotherapy is complete. Sometimes it will even start to grow back before you finish your last treatment. Some assume that as soon as the chemotherapy is over, they should be cured and be back to their normal selves. The truth is that chemotherapy treatment does take a toll on your body and it may take a few months to start feeling like your old self again. Each person will react to the treatment differently and will recover at a different rate. If you take care of yourself with good nutrition and follow your doctor's instructions, you will stand the best chance of feeling better sooner. With all of the advancements in chemotherapy in recent years, many patients are finding that it is not as bad as they had pictured in their mind. Communicate with your doctor how you're feeling and you should be back to yourself in no